West Bengal, India, from Himalayas to Gangetic Plain

This APM image shows rivers flowing down from the Himalayas in India and Bhutan (upper right), and across the Indian state of West Bengal, into Bangladesh.

As one can see from the contrast in this image, West Bengal encompasses two broad natural regions: the Gangetic Plain in the south and the sub-Himalayan and Himalayan area in the north.

The state has a total area of 88,752 square kilometres (34,267 sq mi). The Darjeeling Himalayan hill region in the northern extreme of the state belongs to the eastern Himalayas. The narrow Terai region separates this region from the plains, which in turn transitions into the Ganges delta towards the south.